Sparta Praha (H) | CL | Post Match Thread

[BooksReject]

Agreed but why has it taken so long to come up with it?

Not a clue. Seems so simple watching it in action. Interesting scenes if we meet a side that refuses to engage though….

 

[Wretched Vengeance]

We scored after 3 minutes. Why would they feign injury/cramp when they needed to score?

Anything to disrupt play, an attempt to break up play and slow City's rhythm.

 

[citizen_maine]

Anything to disrupt play, an attempt to break up play and slow City's rhythm.

You're now advocating the opposite of your previous post?

 

[Wretched Vengeance]

You're now advocating the opposite of your previous post?

I'm enjoying this cold glass of tomato juice and the cricket on in the background.

Enjoy your morning.

 

[Shirley]

I'm enjoying this cold glass of tomato juice and the cricket on in the background.

Enjoy your morning.

Turn it into a Bloody Mary….

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Agreed but why has it taken so long to come up with it?

Teams in the prem will take the point they came for. Look at the 4th goal, you give up space and in 4, 1 touch passes you concede.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Actually thought it was there for a right foot volley at first, but yeah, maybe header the best option.

Leftfoot backheel volley would probably have been my third choice, but what do I know....

Should have headed the one v Dortmund for certain, but he's over reliant on his left. Nice to see the team goal finished with his right foot, and finished well.

His instinct is always to get his left foot on it.

I wonder if the coaches have tried to work on his decision making, heading vs right foot vs left foot.

 

[geoff hammond]

Loved the new standing on the ball tactic waiting for them to come on leaving a bit of space in midfield.

Enjoyed that

Only able to do that once we have taken the lead.
I bet some teams in the prem still wont engage and be happy to let us have it until the final 10 minutes

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I found it interesting last night when Akanji started standing on the ball and not progressing it forward to try and lure them out, at first I thought it was odd and time wasting but after 15 seconds or so I think it got into the opposition heads and they started to press and come out of the 11 at the back they were settled into. Not sure if this was a Pep instruction or just very clever by Akanji, but it worked as Haaland's second came from luring them out and hitting at pace. However, is this a tactic we can use in the PL? I am not sure, we are facing more and more 11 behind the ball and long clearances to fast players, so it could be used but I am not sure the PL teams would come out of their defensive setting. Could be a pretty boring spectacle if we are 1-0 and just stand on the ball waiting on the opposition to try and press :)

I don't think it's really an option on a regular basis. Pep pretty much said as much after the Wolves game. It's incumbent on teams to make a spectacle of it. Football is entertainment, among other things. You'd just have two teams standing off each other, idly passing the ball around at the back. It goes against everything that football's supposed to be, but we have seen over and over and over that other teams are prepared to do it. If they're not behind, they actually think, most of them, that taking a point against City is a triumph. Whether at home or away. That is the ogre that we've become.
I wouldn't see Pep or the lads adopt it as a regular thing. They've just got too much pride in their way of playing the game.
When people say City are boring to watch, what they actually mean, without appearing to realise it, is that the other team is making it boring. Not us. What are we supposed to do, when the opposition have eleven players in the last third of their turf for something like 80-85% of the game?

 

[Tourist since 1971]

The deliberate flick of his leg leg in mid-air tells you all you need to know.
It was laugh out loud insane.
Watch it back and see Bernie’s reaction if you get the right camera.